HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEARS LINGER AFTER TRAIN DERAILMENT
A MESSAGE FOR YOU I’m sure you were as
distraught as I was when you saw the horrific image of the black plume from Norfolk Southern’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year. That toxic smoke came from a deci- sion by officials to burn over 100,000 gallons of vinyl chloride from five derailed cars. Evacuated residents were told it was safe to return home after only a couple of days. Meanwhile, fish in nearby streams were dying, and contaminants were found in downstream water systems. People getting sick were understand- ably afraid to drink their tap water. This tragic derailment happened on the border of Pennsylvania, directly impacting our organizers living there. We jumped into action to help affected families, even joining a town hall meeting with Erin Brockovich. When we discovered that officials were not testing for dioxin, a byproduct of burning vinyl chloride, our team worked with local universities to get free environmen- tal testing for impacted residents. We owe our rapid response capa- bilities to you. Your investment is what allows us to meet the demands of crises like this head- on. Thank you for your generosity!
From derailment to toxic crisis The initial derailment triggered a fireball that raged near train cars filled with hazardous materials, notably vinyl chloride, a toxic, highly-flammable chemical. Fearing an explosion, emergency crews urged residents within a one-mile radius to evacu- ate. They then began to vent and burn off the vinyl chloride, creating a black plume that towered over East Palestine. A strong odor lingered weeks after the fire. People as far as 25 miles away reported symptoms such as headaches, coughing, and burning of the skin. In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, marking one of the country’s biggest environmental disasters. In the days following the crash, massive fires sent a dark cloud of toxic smoke over communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The public health response has been a mess, leaving fami- lies angry, confused, and scared.
Emily Wurth Managing Director of Organizing
Cover: Food & Water Watch Pennsylvania Organizer, David Pfister in East Palestine, OH. Photo by Under the Midnight Sun Photography
1 | SUMMER 2023
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